


Feel the Heat

by bigcityschemes



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dance, Alternate universe- humans, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-13 04:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11751576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigcityschemes/pseuds/bigcityschemes
Summary: Alec Lightwood was classically trained in dance. He was used to structure, rules, and what was to be expected of him from his parents and society.Magnus Bane certainly doesn't play by the rules, and he's determined to show Alec that there's much more to life...and dance outside the structure of a classroom.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from  
> I wanna dance with somebody by Whitney Houston

“Point...flex...point, in.” They’ve gone through this _tendu_ _exercise at le_ ast a hundred times, but Alec always finds it helps to say the actions out loud. At least none of the kids ever complain about. He feels more than hears the music anymore, but he can hear Lydia snapping on tempo to the classical piece. Just another helpful reminder as she walks around the room and eyes the dancers. “ _Relève_ and hold...and down. Watch your arm Jessica.”

 

Jessica looks at him when she hears her name called, but still goes through the exercise. Alec mimes a zombie with a limp arm as a reminder of what not to look like, earning him a small giggle while she fixes it.

 

“Posture guys.” Lydia’s commanding and clear voice rings out over the music and Alec can see most of the room shift up again. He sees the shorter blonde sliding across the hardwood till she’s next to him at the front of the room, backs to the mirrors. The kids finish off the exercise properly and the music track changes to a much slower piece for _plies_. “So family dinner tonight?” She raises an eyebrow questionably but never takes her eyes off the class.

 

“Yup.” Alec internally groans. His mother started expecting- more like demanding- they all come to dinner once a week to see each other. Not like they don’t see enough of each other already. He has to stop himself from rolling his eyes. At least he gets to spend some time with his younger brother Max.

 

“Do you think your dad is going to show this time?” Lydia mutters. Alec winces. His father has been making more and more excuses to work late and not make it to family dinners. Which is hypocritical of him, but whatever. Not like he was around a lot to begin with. He tries not to think about what that might means for his parents marriage, but that also means he’s forced to go just to put his mother at ease.

 

“I doubt it.” He mutters back with a heavy sigh. “Turn out Levi.” He eyes the ginger kid, but as always he doesn’t listen. “I should invite you over to one sometime.” He side remarks to her. Not that his family doesn’t love each other but it would be nice if they went through a dinner without someone fighting with another one. Lydia would help take the attention away from each other, and Alec knows she loves to be the center of attention even if she denies it. Plus she’d get the gossip first hand instead of waiting till the next day to hear it.  

 

She snorts. “Maybe not. I know how your mother feels about me. Turn out Levi.”

 

“She adores you.” Alec smirks. They didn’t exactly hit it off when Lydia transferred to their academy. Two very strong personalities were bound to butt heads sometime. “God this kid hates his life.” He glares over to Levi who is just not following through and looks bored. Which is probably because he _is_ bored. “Did you talk to his mom?”

 

It’s Lydia’s turn to sigh heavily. “Yea, but she just doesn’t listen to me. It’s goes in one ear and out the other- You can get lower than that Olivia.”

“If she wants him to dance, she could at least let him try out other styles. He’s obviously miserable. Ballet is just not his thing.” He feels bad for the poor kid. He knows what it’s like to have a dance mom.

 

“Maybe you should talk to her. She’ll listen to you.”

 

Alec raises an eyebrow at her. “Oh? Why’s that?”

 

    “She thinks you’re cute.” Lydia smirks at him.

 

He can feel his face grow hot as he stammers. “W-what?”

 

    “Always looks a little longer than she should when you walk away.” She winks at him and Alec manages to roll his eyes at her just as the exercise comes to a close. The kids roll the bars towards the back of the room and gravitate towards the center for the second portion of the class.  Alec shrugs off his sweater to go over some moves with them that he knows will be in their spring recital.

 

It’s going to be a long day, and he still has two other ballroom classes to teach plus a private practice and then dinner. Ugh.

 

\----

 

“Oh thank god you’re here.” His mother pulls him inside the brownstone, greeting him with a one cheek kiss. “Your sister is trying to help in the kitchen again.” She gives him a look before swinging her high ponytail back around towards the kitchen.

 

He shrugs off his jacket, throwing it on the couch and listens for the familiar thuds of his brother coming down the stairs.

 

    “Alec!” Max shouts over the railing and barrels down to greet him.

 

“Max!” Alec mocks him playfully, ruffling up his hair in the way he hates it.

 

    His face scrunches up and slaps his hand away, but grins anyway. “Look what I can do.” Max gets into position before taking a step into _promenade en arabesque_ doing a full turn into a _arabesque penche_ , finishing off with the step through. His point was good even if he was wobbly, but that’s way more advanced than where his kids are at. Guess that’s what private lessons with expensive tutors gets you. He’s proud of him though, and tells him just that.

 

“That was awesome Max, I’m proud of you. When did you learn that?”

 

Max beams at him. “Just yesterday.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.

 

“And you didn’t tell me.” Alec fakes a hurtful expression with a hand over his heart.

 

“I just did.” Max sasses back.

 

Alec rolls his eyes but messes with his hair again. “You’re gonna be a star.”

 

Max is about to respond but they hear familiar taps of heels stomping their way. “She’s trying to kill us with her cooking again.” He whispers.

 

“I can hear you.” Izzy joins them in the living room. “And my cooking isn’t that bad! You eat it every night.” She points to Alec, but he just shakes his head at Max, who laughs. It’s true that she makes food every night for everyone at the apartment they share with their adoptive brother Jace, but it doesn’t mean they actually eat it. She tries though.  

 

“Guess the cat’s out of the bag.” Alec winces but luckily Jace walks in and saves the day.

 

“Hey, I didn’t miss dinner did I?” He smiles sheepishly, throwing his jacket on top of Alec’s.

 

    “Nope.” Izzy huffs.

 

“Oh good, you’re all here now.” Their mother finds them, drying her hands on a kitchen towel. “Get ready for dinner.” Which is code for come and eat now.

 

\----

 

“Is dad coming?” Izzy pushes her broccoli around her plate, not bothering to look up. The dinning room suddenly becomes tense and yet everyone acts like it’s nothing.

 

    “No. He’s working late tonight. How’s classes going for everyone?” Mom asks changing the topic.

 

“Good.” Alec responds quickly.

 

    “Good.” Jace mutters around a mouthful of chicken and Izzy just hums. Alec is the only one out of the two who teaches three classes at the Institute. Jace and Izzy only teach one respectfully, and the rest of the time is left for practicing.

 

Jace and Izzy are the stars in the family. They compete together for the Institute on the Gold level with the hopes of making championship one day. Their mothers dream. It used to be Alec and Izzy when they were kids, but Alec doesn’t have a certain ‘ _je ne sais quoi_ ’, or at least that’s what they told him and then Jace stepped in. Pun intended. So, he dedicated his time to technique behind the scenes and in the classroom while they lived in the limelight. Not that he minds anyway.

 

    “I’m not going to compete this year.” Izzy suddenly speaks out and looks at their mother dead-on. You could cut the tension with a chainsaw.

 

Everyone, including Alec stops eating and looks between them, letting her words sink in.

 

    “Excuse me?” Their mother asks quietly, confused.

 

“I said,” Izzy clears her throat and visibly guards herself “I’m not going to compete this year.”

 

    “Are you taking a break? When were you going to discuss with me and the Institute?”

 

“No. I mean, I’m not going to compete...indefinitely.”

 

    “What?! Isabelle, I know I don’t need to remind you of your responsibilities. To the Institute, to me...to your brother Jace. It’ll take us ages to find another suitable for him at a Gold level.”

 

Izzy shoots Jace a knowing look, and Alec knows what’s coming before he even says it. Honestly, he’s a bit mad no one told him of their little plan.

 

    Jace coughs to clear his throat, “I’m not going to compete either.”

 

Their mom closes her eyes in disbelief. “Have you two lost your minds?”

 

    “No.” Izzy stands up and throws her napkin on the table. “I want the freedom to be able to  dance or not dance whatever I want, if I want to or not, and just have the freedom to do what I want to in general.”

 

“The only reason either of you have jobs at the Institute is because you represent them. That was the deal.”

 

    “Then I quit.” Izzy throws her hands up with a smile.

“I do too.” Jace jumps in, otherwise remaining uncharacteristically quiet.

 

    Their mother lets out a laugh in disbelief. “And what are you going to do then?”

 

“I already got another job.” Izzy shrugs. “So you don’t have to worry about it. Max.” She leans over to kiss the top of his head and leaves.

 

    “Sorry.” Jace winces at their mother, who is still in shock, and follows after Izzy.

 

Alec can only sit in silence with the rest of them. He looks across the table to Max, who looks like he’s about to laugh and then next to him at his mother. She’s strangely calm and that probably can’t be a good thing.

 

    “Alec!” He hears Izzy call his name from the adjacent room and that’s his cue to leave too apparently. He takes one more bite of the chicken and squeezes his mom’s shoulder and takes off after his siblings.

 

\----

 

“I can’t believe you just did that.” A puff of smoke whirls out into the chilly winter night when Alec speaks. They're walking back to their apartment-well-he’s walking. Izzy is more like skipping.

 

    “I know! Can you believe it?! I’m free! We’re free!” She shakes Jace’s coat lapels while walking backwards.

 

“You were incredible back there.” Jace laughs.

 

    “Yea, thanks for all your help.” She lightly punches his arm. “We said we’d do this together, and you left me high and dry, gaping like a fish!”

 

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just froze. Maryse is a very scary woman.” Jace winces.

 

    “Oh Alec, how I wish you could be free with us.” She pouts over at him.

 

“Yea, sorry we didn’t tell you.”

 

    Alec schools his expressions and conceals what he’s really feeling right now. The main feeling is Jealousy. He was never really jealous of them being the popular ones with everyone, they deserved it. They were talented together, but- but this is different. They somehow managed to escape the clutches of their overbearing, controlling queen of the dance moms, and left him behind. Didn’t even bother to tell him about it. He feels not only left out, but stuck now more than ever. Like he has a responsibility to make up for his younger siblings recklessness and be the accountable one and continue to do whatever it takes to appease his parents. And it sucks.

 

    “You ok Alec?” Jace asks, breaking the downward spiral of his thought process.

 

“Mm? Yea, so what are you guys going to do? Can’t pay the bills by myself.” He jokes but also means it seriously. Always the responsible one.

 

    “I got a job as a cocktail waitress.” Izzy beams over at him.

 

“I start at the cafe on Monday.” Jace shrugs.

 

    “Cafe?”

 

“He only got a job there cus of the pretty girl that works there.” Izzy smirks and Jace’s face grows red.

 

“They also told me I can play there maybe, sometime. You know, get back into music.”

 

“Oh right. The music.” Alec teases, with an eye roll.

 

“I’m going to start taking dance classes.” Izzy adds.

 

“I thought you did this to get away from dance?”

 

“No, I did it so I can dance whatever I want to dance. Explore my options, I’m sick of the stiffness of ballroom. I wanna move.” She shimmies, earning a laugh from the brothers.  

 

“Well I’m happy for you guys.” And Alec means it. Just because he feels stuck doesn’t mean they should. Lydia is going to eat this up.


	2. Chapter 2

“They did what?!” Lydia fakes being surprised, but Alec can see right through her. Plus she's not that good of a liar.

 

Doesn't stop him from glaring at her though as he folds over to touch his toes. It's his turn to lead the stretches while she just gets to sit pretty, watching them as _Debussy_ plays in the background. “Who told you?”

 

She bites her lip, contemplating whether or not to tell him. Oh well. “Raj.”

 

“That bastard.” Alec mutters but the girl, Jamie, next to him clears her throat and raises an eyebrow at him. He mouths a ‘ _sorry’_ at her. They have a no bad words classroom rule and looks like he just broke it. He rises up slowly, swinging his arms low and then bringing the right arm overhead and back out to fold over the left.

 

“He overheard Maryse in Aldertree’s office this morning, telling him they quit.”

 

Alec repeats the same stretch, but for the other side.

 

“Ok, but I don't know everything! Tell me what happened.”

 

“So we all sit down to start eating, and the next thing we know Izzy just blurts out that she isn't going to compete and that she quits and Jace follows along.”

 

“Did your dad show?” Lydia whispers.

 

Alec shakes his head no. He brings everyone back up to standing before taking a seat for on the ground stretches, starting with the butterfly.

 

“How's your mom taking it?”

 

“I actually don't know. You know she was really calm and quiet about it. I haven't heard from her all day.” Alec bites his lower lip, pushing his legs out half way and bends over them. His mother usually calls or texts him several times during the day, but today has been radio silence.

 

“Yikes.” She breaths out, making a face.

 

Alec lets out a small chuckle in agreement, and extends his legs. “Point.” He reminds everyone as the reach for a moment. “Flex.” He wonders if he should call her or just give her space. “Straight up.”

 

Nah.

 

He's just going to consider himself lucky that he's not on his mother’s bad side this time.

 

\----

 

Alec takes one last look around the dance room to make sure everything is where it should be before he closes up for the day. He's wrapping his grey Burberry scarf around his neck, ready to go home, when his sister barges in through the door.

 

“Oh good!” She rushes over to him and drops her sports bag unceremoniously on the table next to him. “You're still here.”

 

“And what are you doing here?” He raises an eyebrow at her, taking in her dance wear under her jacket and the bag.

 

“I have a dance lesson.” Her smile widens excitedly. Alec still isn't following. “I'm using the studio.”

 

“What?” He drawls out the word in disbelief and crosses his arms. “Does mom know about this?”

 

“No, and she isn't right?” She looks over at him and gives him her best innocent look. Which shouldn't work on him but she's still his little sister. Ugh.

 

It's not like she's banned or anything from the studio, but he's very surprised to see her back so soon. His lack of disagreement pretty much solidifies his answer.

 

She claps excitedly once, swinging her dark hair off her shoulders. “You don't even have to stay. I'll lock up.”

 

“Uh um no.” He's responsible for the room and if someone were to come by asking questions, he'd rather be here to explain. Or take the blame. Whichever one comes first. “I'll stay.”

 

Izzy shrugs and slides off her jacket. “Suit yourself. Magnus should be here soon.”

 

“Magnus?”

 

“My new dance instructor. Magnus Bane. He's the best.” Izzys eyes light up. “He's like a dance guru.” She says with jazz hands for emphasis. “He's going to teach me hip hop.”

 

“Oh is he?”  

 

“Indeed, I am.” A smooth voice joins them from the doorway. Whatever Alec had envisioned this Magnus person to look like, it sure wasn’t this. Tan, lean, and _Glittery_. A vision really. Alec wouldn’t say beautiful, at least not out loud, but he was a sight nonetheless. He watches as Izzy and him share cheek kisses before the attention is back on himself. “And you must be-?”

 

    “Alexan-Alec. Um, Alec.” Alec stumbles over the words like an idiot, but manages a quick handshake without incident.

 

Magnus beams at him. “A pleasure to meet you Alexander. Magnus Bane.”

 

    Alec suddenly remembers that staring into the wonderfully, lovely, deep brown eyes of a stranger is weird and rude and clears his throat to look at Izzy instead. Which is a mistake because she’s already looking at him with a knowing smirk. “I’m just going to, um, wait back here.” He thumbs over to the chair behind him and the table. With a nod he excuses himself from the little group to sit in said chair, but feels both of them watching him as he does so and so he now has to fight a blush quickly creeping on.

 

“Shall we?” Magnus redirects his attention to Izzy and slides out of his jacket, necklaces dangling free across his v-neck. Not that Alec is watching or anything, but he does nod an ‘ok’ that Magnus can leave his things on the table next to theirs.

 

“Yes! Please!” Izzy shows him how to sync up his bluetooth to the rooms stereo for a moment and they make their way across the room, closer to the mirrors. They’re now mostly out of earshot, but Alec can still see them just fine. He debates if it’s creepy to watch, so he pulls out his phone to look through instead.

 

The duo stretches through the melancholic crooning of _Bon Iver_ for quite some time that Alec is impressed with his self control not to look up. What does get his attention though is the sudden switch from that to a rap song he doesn’t know, now blaring through the speakers.

 

Magnus mouths a ‘Sorry’ at him when they make eye contact through the mirror, and he quickly turns down the volume a bit. Him and Izzy get started right away after that, learning some arms with feet. Magnus goes slow for learning purposes, step by step, even though the beat is much faster, but Izzy’s always been a fast learner and Alec knows she’ll get the moves down with no problem. Alec is more than intrigued now and openly watching. He doesn’t spend a whole lot of time watching people dance hip hop or street or whatever this is that they’re doing, so all of this is kinda new and exciting. Not that he would want to do it himself, but it’s cool to see. He doesn’t have a point of reference but Magnus seems to be a very knowledgeable and skilled dancer.   

 

The foot work is intense, even for the slowed down version of it, but then they get to a part where there’s a body roll. Which shouldn’t be as obscene as Magnus makes it, or maybe it’s just in Alec’s head, but regardless he can feel the blush coming back. It doesn’t help that Magnus spots him watching them (well mostly him), and winks at him through the mirror, causing Alec to look away quickly. Yup, nope. Doesn’t help at all. Makes it worse. Alec just wants the ground to swallow him whole now, thank you very much.

 

It all goes downhill after that. Any chance Magnus spots Alec looking at him now, he winks or over exaggerates his moves, like he knows exactly what it’s doing to him. Alec doesn’t know if he’s messing with him or flirting with him by this point and is ready to go home now.

  


\----

 

Alec doesn’t get his wish of going home till much much later. After putting the moves with the music several times, Izzy and Magnus both decide to call it quits, both satisfied and tired.

 

Izzy says a quick goodbye to Magnus and Alec before grabbing her stuff and leaving, talking about being late for work. Which leaves Alec unprepared to be alone with Magnus. Luckily it appears that Magnus can sense the awkwardness, so he doesn’t hesitate in collecting his stuff and putting his jacket on then following Alec out the building.

 

“So…” Magnus sways a bit in the cold, looking up at Alec with a small smile.

 

“So…” Alec copies him and bites his lip nervously. He doesn’t really know what to say here. Magnus is still practically a stranger even if he did just spend a little over an hour (maybe-not-so) accidentally ogling him. “Do you need to call a cab?”

 

    “No, um I can catch one...eventually.” He tilts his head and it’s cute.

 

Alec nods along, but looks up and down the street for any sign of a cab. “Where do you live?”

 

    “Brooklyn.”

 

“Brooklyn?” Alec raises his eyebrows in surprise and stuffs his hands in his pockets to keep warm from the cold. They’re in Manhattan and it’s getting late into the night. “Maybe we should a cab or an Uber or something.”

 

    “Whatever you want.” Magnus shrugs but plays with his earring cuff, and it’s distracting.

 

Alec frowns. He’d really like to start his walk home now, it’s a short walk thankfully, but he can’t just leave him here alone. “I’ll wait with you.”

 

“No need.” Magnus sighs and pulls out his phone to order an Uber. “I can take of myself you know.”

“I know.”

 

Magnus glances up at him through his lashes for a moment. “Such a gentleman.”

 

Alec doesn’t respond to that, and they end up waiting in silence. It’s the longest 15 minutes of Alec’s life as he struggles to come up with something to say. Small talk has never been something he was good at. Magnus doesn’t seem to mind though because he doesn’t say anything either.

 

Except he also doesn’t stop looking at him. Like he’s watching Alec struggle and berate himself internally and getting a kick out of it with a smug smile on his face. Alec doesn’t know what to do with this kind of attention and the blush has made a comeback, although the universe is giving him a break tonight because it’s cold, so it can easily be mistaken for that.

 

The ride finally shows up and Magnus turns to him, “Goodnight Alexander” before getting into the car. Alec sighs out a long breath, finally feeling like he can breathe correctly again. He spends the walk home thinking the way Magnus says his name, like it’s the most important name in the world and glitter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta  
> thanks for reading :)  
> heres the dance in case youre interested : 
> 
> https://youtu.be/DSk7BB6XLr0

**Author's Note:**

> No beta and first time writing for this fandom  
> sorry if it's garbage  
> tags and rating subject to change  
> thanks for reading <3


End file.
